Shoulder pads are utilized in various contexts to provide protection from impact to a wearer. For example, shoulder pads are often worn in American style football, hockey, lacrosse, and motocross, among other activities. Some styles of shoulder pads include various drawbacks, such as restricted range-of-motion, which may limit the ability of a wearer to fully extend his or her arms directly overhead. In addition, some styles of shoulder pads may be too bulky or may necessitate constant readjustment after being impacted. These are only some of the exemplary issues presented by some typical shoulder pads.